Anyone who knows Ye's story is aware the artist has changed since the passing of his mother Donda West. Fourteen years after he and his 'big brother' Jay-Z delivered one of the most iconic rap concerts ever as the duo 'Watch The Throne', he revisited the Gelredome in Arnhem amidst a floodwave of controversy. Performing solo on his birthday, standing on top of a gigantic globe. Kept at a safe distance from the audience, armed with an enormous amount of tracks. Even though the Netherlands expected more controversy from the concerts, the fans got exactly what they wanted most: the idolization of Ye, formerly known as Kanye West.
Self-control
In recent years, the artist garnered priceless media attention as a result of multiple controversies. Ye has always been a figure of polarization, but following his marriage with Kim Kardashian and years of systematic boycotting by major corporations, eventually the artist lost his self-control. This resulted in jew hatred and dissociation from his fanbase, with tracks like 'WW3', 'Heil Hitler', and a Ku Klux Klan-inspired artwork marking absolute rock bottom. His current wife, Bianca Censori, distrusted the original diagnosis of 'bipolar disorder', and 'autism' ultimately proved to be a more fitting explanation for Ye's thought patterns. The artist publicly apologized for his extreme behavior, which was a surprising choice given his historical stubbornness.
Cancelled Bully
With his new album Bully, Ye marked his return to the spotlight. Much to the dismay of many people, the Jewish community in particular. Following an initial concert at the SoFi Stadium, Ye announced a world tour, only for many dates to be canceled in rapid succession as the artist was denied entry into various countries. Fans watched their dreams evaporate, while members of parliament in the Netherlands tried to ban the artist as well. Ultimately in vain, because unlike the UK and France, the influential artist did make his appearance in Arnhem. At the front entrance, a group of demonstrators educated the thousands of fans about Ye's extreme statements. Inside, however, fans had just one hope: that Ye would make the years of waiting worthwhile.
Self-control
In recent years, the artist garnered priceless media attention as a result of multiple controversies. Ye has always been a figure of polarization, but following his marriage with Kim Kardashian and years of systematic boycotting by major corporations, eventually the artist lost his self-control. This resulted in jew hatred and dissociation from his fanbase, with tracks like 'WW3', 'Heil Hitler', and a Ku Klux Klan-inspired artwork marking absolute rock bottom. His current wife, Bianca Censori, distrusted the original diagnosis of 'bipolar disorder', and 'autism' ultimately proved to be a more fitting explanation for Ye's thought patterns. The artist publicly apologized for his extreme behavior, which was a surprising choice given his historical stubbornness.
Cancelled Bully
With his new album Bully, Ye marked his return to the spotlight. Much to the dismay of many people, the Jewish community in particular. Following an initial concert at the SoFi Stadium, Ye announced a world tour, only for many dates to be canceled in rapid succession as the artist was denied entry into various countries. Fans watched their dreams evaporate, while members of parliament in the Netherlands tried to ban the artist as well. Ultimately in vain, because unlike the UK and France, the influential artist did make his appearance in Arnhem. At the front entrance, a group of demonstrators educated the thousands of fans about Ye's extreme statements. Inside, however, fans had just one hope: that Ye would make the years of waiting worthwhile.
Happy Birthday
A little later than scheduled, the Chicago artist walked quite emotionlessly into a large, white hemisphere placed in the center of the arena. This time around, there were no masks, backpacks, or dresses for the artist. Just a brown, dystopian suit complete with gloves and boots. Tonight, Ye kept everything simple, even though Kanye historically never approached music as something simple. In the arena, enthusiastic fans took turns singing 'Happy Birthday Dear Kanye' and 'Er is er één jarig' (Dutch birthday song) while waiting for the show to start. Accompanied by a minutes-long, pulsating synthesizer, producer and rapper Ye rose through the smoke from the top of the hemisphere. Beneath him, a globe was immediately projected onto the structure. The result was impressive: on his actual birthday, Ye stood on top of an image of the world.
King & Father
"The time is now, right now," echoed a voice through the Gelredome. That sample from Duke Edwards’ 'Reach For A Star' opened the track 'King', taken from Ye's new album. Bully, as the album is called, is a major throwback to the soulful samples that Ye was known for at the start of his career as a producer. Yet, the atmosphere felt different than it did back then. Ye stood on top of the large balloon and mostly moved as if present in his own world. He often rapped along with the beat, but at times the artist also gazed around somewhat stoically. For a moment, fans even wondered if the rapper was feeling ill. "You know what season it is!" he shouted right after, before 'FATHER' kicked in and the Chicagoan rediscovered his focus.
Larger Than Ye
While Ye stood relatively still on his globe during the first day of his concerts - and even ended up rushing through tracks - there seemed to be a renewed energy within the rapper during his birthday. Soon enough, a fellow concertgoer tipped us we could watch the same concert via a special birthday livestream. The hemisphere unfortunately had one major flaw: it completely overshadowed Ye. During some parts of the concert, a screen was raised which showed projected footage from the arena. This allowed us to see clips of the crowd and Ye himself, but this special livestream offered us the original, unobstructed view to the artist.
A little later than scheduled, the Chicago artist walked quite emotionlessly into a large, white hemisphere placed in the center of the arena. This time around, there were no masks, backpacks, or dresses for the artist. Just a brown, dystopian suit complete with gloves and boots. Tonight, Ye kept everything simple, even though Kanye historically never approached music as something simple. In the arena, enthusiastic fans took turns singing 'Happy Birthday Dear Kanye' and 'Er is er één jarig' (Dutch birthday song) while waiting for the show to start. Accompanied by a minutes-long, pulsating synthesizer, producer and rapper Ye rose through the smoke from the top of the hemisphere. Beneath him, a globe was immediately projected onto the structure. The result was impressive: on his actual birthday, Ye stood on top of an image of the world.
King & Father
"The time is now, right now," echoed a voice through the Gelredome. That sample from Duke Edwards’ 'Reach For A Star' opened the track 'King', taken from Ye's new album. Bully, as the album is called, is a major throwback to the soulful samples that Ye was known for at the start of his career as a producer. Yet, the atmosphere felt different than it did back then. Ye stood on top of the large balloon and mostly moved as if present in his own world. He often rapped along with the beat, but at times the artist also gazed around somewhat stoically. For a moment, fans even wondered if the rapper was feeling ill. "You know what season it is!" he shouted right after, before 'FATHER' kicked in and the Chicagoan rediscovered his focus.
Larger Than Ye
While Ye stood relatively still on his globe during the first day of his concerts - and even ended up rushing through tracks - there seemed to be a renewed energy within the rapper during his birthday. Soon enough, a fellow concertgoer tipped us we could watch the same concert via a special birthday livestream. The hemisphere unfortunately had one major flaw: it completely overshadowed Ye. During some parts of the concert, a screen was raised which showed projected footage from the arena. This allowed us to see clips of the crowd and Ye himself, but this special livestream offered us the original, unobstructed view to the artist.
Easier to Understand
The rapper continued with 'Father Stretch My Hands', and in response, the crowd jumped ecstatically to the beat. In the first show a different song occupied this slot, revealing that the artist had tweaked a few things about the performance. Unlike the first show, we now saw Ye dancing on top of the globe. The stress of the opening night had vanished, and while the rapper increasingly mumbled as the night progressed - as if he were wearing his grills - he was much easier to understand for this second night. The arena truly went wild during 'Can’t Tell Me Nothing', and we saw a Ye like we remembered him: in perfect unity with the music. Sweat poured down his face, but the artist didn't let it faze him and kept the show moving.
Breaking Up with Jay-Z
Out of nowhere, Ye dropped 'N****s in Paris', the electrifying mosh pit track that he and Jay-Z performed no less than five times (!) in a row back in 2012. The Gelredome exploded, with people on the floor even falling over due to the mosh pits. Meanwhile, Ye occasionally muttered Jay-Z's raps under his breath but didn't utter a single word during the actual verse. He even left the chorus entirely up to the backing track. A painful reminder of their fallout, especially since that very track had made history in this exact arena. Ye performed his own verse with intensity, but when the band played a wrong synth during his rap, the artist quickly called out: "I don’t like that sound," before rapping on. The lasers, the audio; everything was reminiscent of Watch The Throne in 2012. Just as abruptly as their collaboration shattered, Ye cut the song short.
Pleasure
Although the second show largely featured the same setlist as the first, the livestream revealed that Ye enjoyed performing on his birthday much more than he did the weekend before. During 'Mercy', he danced wildly on the hemisphere, and 'Praise God' also received cheers and mosh pits from the crowd. The aggressive beats of 'Black Skinhead' set the entire Gelredome on fire, led by Ye who was clearly having a good day. "If I knew what I knew in the past, I would have been blacked out on your ass," the megastar rapped after pacing around wildly.
The rapper continued with 'Father Stretch My Hands', and in response, the crowd jumped ecstatically to the beat. In the first show a different song occupied this slot, revealing that the artist had tweaked a few things about the performance. Unlike the first show, we now saw Ye dancing on top of the globe. The stress of the opening night had vanished, and while the rapper increasingly mumbled as the night progressed - as if he were wearing his grills - he was much easier to understand for this second night. The arena truly went wild during 'Can’t Tell Me Nothing', and we saw a Ye like we remembered him: in perfect unity with the music. Sweat poured down his face, but the artist didn't let it faze him and kept the show moving.
Breaking Up with Jay-Z
Out of nowhere, Ye dropped 'N****s in Paris', the electrifying mosh pit track that he and Jay-Z performed no less than five times (!) in a row back in 2012. The Gelredome exploded, with people on the floor even falling over due to the mosh pits. Meanwhile, Ye occasionally muttered Jay-Z's raps under his breath but didn't utter a single word during the actual verse. He even left the chorus entirely up to the backing track. A painful reminder of their fallout, especially since that very track had made history in this exact arena. Ye performed his own verse with intensity, but when the band played a wrong synth during his rap, the artist quickly called out: "I don’t like that sound," before rapping on. The lasers, the audio; everything was reminiscent of Watch The Throne in 2012. Just as abruptly as their collaboration shattered, Ye cut the song short.
Pleasure
Although the second show largely featured the same setlist as the first, the livestream revealed that Ye enjoyed performing on his birthday much more than he did the weekend before. During 'Mercy', he danced wildly on the hemisphere, and 'Praise God' also received cheers and mosh pits from the crowd. The aggressive beats of 'Black Skinhead' set the entire Gelredome on fire, led by Ye who was clearly having a good day. "If I knew what I knew in the past, I would have been blacked out on your ass," the megastar rapped after pacing around wildly.
808s & Heartbreak
Naturally, Ye also brought the necessary heartbreak. 'Blood On The Leaves' and 'Say You Will' - the latter of which was skipped over the first concert - provided the audience with a few moments to catch their breath. The autotuned vocals are a staple of the rapper's discography. On the latter track, Ye tried to go without the vocal assistance for a brief moment, but unfortunately, the vocals didn't sound quite pitch-perfect. Then again, Kanye West is no singer, and the audience enjoyed it regardless. The singer made up for it with 'Heartless', repeatedly asking the crowd to chant the chorus in unison. "Y’all sound so beautiful," the Chicagoan called out with a smile.
Talkbox Magic
Overall, barring a few minor blemishes, the birthday show was much tighter than Ye’s first performance. The rapper kept his focus, and the stream clearly showcased the rapper performing his tracks with passion that night. The talkbox vocal support from André Troutman - musical director and cousin of the legendary Roger Troutman - provided wonderful sing-along moments, and the singer took plenty of time for a beautiful solo during 'Stronger'. It served as a delightful contrast to the electro-beats of tracks like 'FATHER' and 'On Sight'.
Classic Kanye
The former Roc-A-Fella star was not afraid to tap into his past. Classics like 'All Falls Down', 'Jesus Walks', and 'Through The Wire' all flew by in rapid succession. These classics did a lot less for the young crowd on the floor, and Ye often called for the next song after just one verse. 'Touch The Sky' seemed to fare a lot better, and eventually, Ye even got the crowd jumping while he himself bounded around the hemisphere full of energy. "Top of the woooooooorld!" he screamed to close out the track.
Naturally, Ye also brought the necessary heartbreak. 'Blood On The Leaves' and 'Say You Will' - the latter of which was skipped over the first concert - provided the audience with a few moments to catch their breath. The autotuned vocals are a staple of the rapper's discography. On the latter track, Ye tried to go without the vocal assistance for a brief moment, but unfortunately, the vocals didn't sound quite pitch-perfect. Then again, Kanye West is no singer, and the audience enjoyed it regardless. The singer made up for it with 'Heartless', repeatedly asking the crowd to chant the chorus in unison. "Y’all sound so beautiful," the Chicagoan called out with a smile.
Talkbox Magic
Overall, barring a few minor blemishes, the birthday show was much tighter than Ye’s first performance. The rapper kept his focus, and the stream clearly showcased the rapper performing his tracks with passion that night. The talkbox vocal support from André Troutman - musical director and cousin of the legendary Roger Troutman - provided wonderful sing-along moments, and the singer took plenty of time for a beautiful solo during 'Stronger'. It served as a delightful contrast to the electro-beats of tracks like 'FATHER' and 'On Sight'.
Classic Kanye
The former Roc-A-Fella star was not afraid to tap into his past. Classics like 'All Falls Down', 'Jesus Walks', and 'Through The Wire' all flew by in rapid succession. These classics did a lot less for the young crowd on the floor, and Ye often called for the next song after just one verse. 'Touch The Sky' seemed to fare a lot better, and eventually, Ye even got the crowd jumping while he himself bounded around the hemisphere full of energy. "Top of the woooooooorld!" he screamed to close out the track.
No Controversy
Anyone hoping that the rapper would say anything about all the controversy came away disappointed from the concert. Even the line "I hate these n****s more than the Nazis" from 'Flashing Lights' remained intact, though the rapper did mumble that last word a bit nowadays. It offered a slight hint that the weight of words had sunk in, not that the audience was concerned with that in the heat of the moment. The Chicagoan effortlessly pumped out hit after hit, demonstrating exactly why his catalog remains attractive to multiple generations.
Connecting with the Audience
Ye had more audience interaction in this second show, frequently fixing his eyes on the projection screen to fully absorb the fans' emotions. The livestream alternated shots of the fans and the rapper back and forth, creating the illusion that Ye was standing close to the audience. Surprisingly, towards the end of his set, Ye opted for 'Ghost Town', a track in which he speaks to himself about his mental struggles. The lyrics "I’ve been trying to make you love me / but everything I try just takes you further from me" took on a new layer of meaning before Ye slowly disappeared into the hemisphere - yet another change compared to the first show.
Anyone hoping that the rapper would say anything about all the controversy came away disappointed from the concert. Even the line "I hate these n****s more than the Nazis" from 'Flashing Lights' remained intact, though the rapper did mumble that last word a bit nowadays. It offered a slight hint that the weight of words had sunk in, not that the audience was concerned with that in the heat of the moment. The Chicagoan effortlessly pumped out hit after hit, demonstrating exactly why his catalog remains attractive to multiple generations.
Connecting with the Audience
Ye had more audience interaction in this second show, frequently fixing his eyes on the projection screen to fully absorb the fans' emotions. The livestream alternated shots of the fans and the rapper back and forth, creating the illusion that Ye was standing close to the audience. Surprisingly, towards the end of his set, Ye opted for 'Ghost Town', a track in which he speaks to himself about his mental struggles. The lyrics "I’ve been trying to make you love me / but everything I try just takes you further from me" took on a new layer of meaning before Ye slowly disappeared into the hemisphere - yet another change compared to the first show.
Sampler Ye
After four minutes of tension and nervous clapping from the audience, the artist re-emerged, this time taking his place behind a sampler. Ye needed only a single piano note to make the stadium burst out in cheers. Tonight, 'Runaway' was once again the closing track, but the acclaimed producer wrapped up the night in his own unique way. He bombarded the crowd by spamming the 'Look at ya!' sample from the chorus, while fireworks ignited around the hemisphere and the audience sang along at the top of their lungs. "I’m so gifted to find what I don't like the most," the rapper sang with emotion. With a metaphorical "toast for the douchebags, assholes, and scumbags", Ye closed out a controversial but beautiful concert.
King of Marketing
Fourteen years later, the man born as Kanye Omari West is bigger, but also more fragile and controversial than ever. His earlier music withstood the test of time, but a different artist stood here now compared to the one before. Kanye, the eccentric producer with a big mouth, made way for Ye, the marketing machine that the youth obsess over. On the way home, his fans received one final birthday present: a new teaser for the deluxe version of his album, complete with an explicit music video in which the artist suggestively pours cow milk over his wife Bianca. If anyone knew how to market controversy, it had to be Ye.
After four minutes of tension and nervous clapping from the audience, the artist re-emerged, this time taking his place behind a sampler. Ye needed only a single piano note to make the stadium burst out in cheers. Tonight, 'Runaway' was once again the closing track, but the acclaimed producer wrapped up the night in his own unique way. He bombarded the crowd by spamming the 'Look at ya!' sample from the chorus, while fireworks ignited around the hemisphere and the audience sang along at the top of their lungs. "I’m so gifted to find what I don't like the most," the rapper sang with emotion. With a metaphorical "toast for the douchebags, assholes, and scumbags", Ye closed out a controversial but beautiful concert.
King of Marketing
Fourteen years later, the man born as Kanye Omari West is bigger, but also more fragile and controversial than ever. His earlier music withstood the test of time, but a different artist stood here now compared to the one before. Kanye, the eccentric producer with a big mouth, made way for Ye, the marketing machine that the youth obsess over. On the way home, his fans received one final birthday present: a new teaser for the deluxe version of his album, complete with an explicit music video in which the artist suggestively pours cow milk over his wife Bianca. If anyone knew how to market controversy, it had to be Ye.
Written independently and published on Maxazine:
https://www.maxazine.nl/2026/06/09/ye-staat-bovenop-de-wereld-tijdens-verjaardagsshow-in-de-gelredome/
https://www.maxazine.nl/2026/06/09/ye-staat-bovenop-de-wereld-tijdens-verjaardagsshow-in-de-gelredome/
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